Flexible revetment.



G. 0. ROGERS.

FLEXIBLE REVETMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1912.

1,071,091 Patented Aug.26, 1913.

latest inventor-.-

wane) G60. 0. oars an I b 6/ we Y Q Mb'ya.

ATENT FFIGE.

GEQRGE 0. ROGERS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F GEE-THIRD T0 HARRY E. ROGERS AND ONE-THIRD 'I'O EDITH d. ROGEBS,- BOTH 0]? ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FLEXIBLE REVIETMENT.

nort ern To all whom it"may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. Romans, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible lttevetments, 0t which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to revetments for the protection of the banks of rivers or of levees to prevent the washing away of such banks or levees by thestream of water dowing in contact therewith. This revetment has a requisite degree of flexibility in order that its elements will readily lit against inequalities oil a'river banlr or levee on which the revetment is laid, and in itself contains sufficient weight to provide for the revetment maintaining its position atter it is laid. My revetment, as illustrated, is one so constructed that its parts may be readily assembled immediately prior to'or during the laying of the revetment, and one in which the parts are permanently connected throughout the'revetment when it is finished.

Figure l is a cross section through the bank of a river, with my revetment shown thereon in elevation." Fig. TI is an enlarged top or plan view oil a fragment of the revetment. Fig. Ill is an edge view oil the itraginent oi the revetment shown in Fig. n.

or other suitable flexible members, on whichthe bloclrs are strung to produce a revetment of mat-hire nature, which is rendered flexible due to the presence of the portions oi? the ropes existing between the several till bloehs through which the said extend. its will. be seen on r t.

ocls in an rna e e s o n. th main bl r l e L w re 1 e oflset trom the blocks in the ntervening rows in breakoint tashion, and the ropes n l 4. L. a e which pass through two oi tne bloelrs in one oil the rows of bloclrs in the revetment pass through a single bloclr m the next row,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. TV is an enlarged section through blocks oi the revetment and one oi m Patented ar as, iaia Application filed August W, 1912. Serial No. 71?,057.

first mentioned row. This arrangement of I the blocks of ropes is continued throughout the revetment, and it will be apparent that by such arrangement the blocks in the various rows are so tied together as to prevent their separation, or any material transverse movement of any block in any row of blocks in the revetment.

In order that the desired flexibility of the revetment ma be obtained, the blocks 1 are provlded wit facing adjoining edges of adjacent blocks, thus avoiding the presence on the blocks oi flattaces and sharp corners, which would interfere with the flexing of the revetment, and the proper positioning of the blocks upon the surfaces they are intended to lie against when the revetment is deposited upon ariver bank or levee. With the same obgect IH'VIQW, it provide the blocks with notches 5, at the ends of the perforations i,

whereby the ropes 6 are exposed to a greater degree, thereby increasing the flexibility oi the revetment.

The ropes 6 may he provided at their ends with any suitable means for retaining the endmost series of the bloclrs of the revetmerit in position upon such ropes, the means illustrated for this purpose comprising clips 'l secured to the ropes and washers 8 interposed between said clips and the adjacent blocks. 1

l orthe purpose of increasing the stability of my flexible revetment, T prelerably incorporate therein transverse stay ropes 9, which are secured at it) by wires; or other suitable means of fastening, to the ropes d, at the points where such ropes are exposed between the bloclrs l, and through the medium of which the .ropes 6 are held in proper relation after the blocks 1 have been strung thereon. The ropes 9 are oft ma terial importance, not only in maintaining the main ropes '6 in their proper relations relative to each other, but are also ct importance in supporting the rows of blocks separately when the revetment is being deposited in river, so that the bloclrs in the rows above those lowermost will not he subjected to the strain oi the, uppermost blocks, and the ropes '8 will not be subjected to the severe strain they would be subjected to by downward movement of the upperrounded edges, 2 and 3,-

till

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lit

moat hleelrs the lowermost blocks, 111W downwardly along the banks.

It is to be particularly noted that while, as is very evident, my revetment is susceptible of flexing, due to bending'ot the ropes 6 at'points between the blocks through which these ropes extend, the revetment is also capable of flexing in the opposite direction, as it is important that it shall, in order that the revetment may settle perfectly upon an embankment, notwithstanding the existence of depressions or ridges extending The flexing of the revetment in a direction transversely of that permitted by the flexing of the ropes 6 between the blocks occurs readily, due to the possible pivotal movement of sets of the blocks on the ropes 6 that pass therethrough; and, when such pivotal movement takes place, the pivoting blocks andthose adjacent thereto may readily move either downwardly or upwardly to seat properly into depressions or on ridges beneath them. It Will, therefore, be seen that it is not only possible for the revetment toadjust itself to a nicety upon an uneven bank, but also that in the event of undercutting beneath the revetment, the sections above the undercut will naturally fall into the cut and produce a dike to avoid continuance of the undercutting action beneath the revetment. It will be apparent that the revetment may rovnoer be extended to any desired degree acrossthe bed of the river instead of being carried only to the foot of the river bank or levee; and I prefer to make the revetment of such may lie upon the bed of the river to hold the bank protecting portion in its serviceable position.

lt is obvious that the ropes entering into the structure of my revetment must be of 4 strong and durable material, and, with this in view, the ropes are preferably wire ropes.

I claim: I

l. A revetment comprising a plurality of blocks arranged in rows, and flexible 4 members on which said blocks are strung; said flexible members having associated therewith means for preventing blocks in the revetment back of those in the foremost row from pressing against other blocks in 5 front of them. 1 i

2. A revetment comprising a plurality of blocks arranged in rows, and flexible members on whichsaid blocks are strung; and stay members connecting said flexible mem- 5 here between said blocks.

- GEORGE 0. ROGERS In the presence of- A. J. MCCAULEY, E. B. LINN.

dimensions that a considerable portion of it 3- 

